Thursday, August 4, 2011

High Tide at McDonough!

This week was a sentimental week for me at the McDonough Sailing Center: it is the last week where I am working there every afternoon. So, taking advantage of the final time that I had, I tried to do everything with the kids; crab counting, fishing, crab catching, water games, and anything else where the campers were able to have fun and learn at the same time.

This week was really cool by the lagoon since it was high tide, which re

ally fascinated the campers. Although we could not perform a sufficient crab count due to

the high tide, we were able to explore the beach more and watch the water rushing into the lagoon from the ocean. The sound of the water rushing through the pillars under the bridge resembled the roaring of a tropical waterfall, and even though it did not offer such a stunning view such as a waterfall, it really caught the attention of the campers. They were wondering why water did this, why the tides got high some days and low others, how the ocean works, etc. I was really proud at their enthusiasm and their wanting to know so much. This little moment reflected all the time that I had spent at McDonough and the bonds that I formed with the people there. The first time I started working there the campers were extremely reluctant to even talk to me, and now at this moment they all trusted me with answering some of their biggest questions, or shared with me their dreams to be able to swim to Spectacle Island, or surf on the fast tide coming in. At that moment I was not a counselor to them, or a representative of Save the Harbor, or a boy from Quincy; I was just like another person from Southie; a neighbor they've known for years; a mentor; a teacher; a friend.

It is going to be difficult saying goodbye to McDonough. I know that I am not going to be away for the rest of the summer; I might come by here and there when needed. But it seems that I have just grown so used to seeing all those familiar faces eagerly waiting for me to start fishing and exploring with them; those familiar smells of the lagoon by the dockside or food from Sullie's; that long but tranquil walk from P Street to Castle Island. Once the campers found out that this might be my last week working full time at McDonough, they all reacted with dismay. But one camper stood out, because he said, "You promised me that you would stay if I stayed!" He remembered a "promise" I made with him that if he decided to stay in the program longer, since he was thinking about leaving, then I would stay with him. I did not know what to say; I was speechless.

So, thank you McDonough Sailing Center for a great time this summer. I hope the campers learned something from me, because I learned so much from them.

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Save the Harbor/Save the Bayis a non-profit public-interest Boston Harbor environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, the Boston Harbor Islands, the Boston Harbor region's public beaches, Boston's waterfront and the marine environment and share them with the public, for everyone to enjoy.

Since 1986, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has been the driving force behind the transformation of Boston Harbor from one of the dirtiest urban harbors in America to one of the cleanest in the world.

As a result of our advocacy, Boston Harbor has been transformed from a "Harbor of Shame" into a source of recreational, educational and economic opportunity and civic pride. Today the beaches of South Boston are among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, the Boston Harbor Islands are a National Park, and Boston's waterfront has become a compelling destination for residents and visitors alike.

Working with a broad base of civic, corporate, government, scientific, philanthropic and community partners, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay continues to strengthen the connections between communities and the harbor, and promote the increasingly important impact Boston Harbor has on the region’s economy.

Each year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay runs 2 freeYouth Environmental Education Programs that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring Boston Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. Since 2003, we have connected nearly 250,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.

Our "Boston Harbor Explorers" program serves thousands of young people at the Courageous Sailing Center in Charlestown, the Piers Park Sailing Center and Constitution Beach in East Boston, DCR's Carson Beach in South Boston, at Community Boating on the Charles River, on Black's Creek in Quincy, and at Camp Harbor View on Long Island and at The Boston Children's Museum.Our"All Access Boston Harbor"program departs weekdays from the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in South Boston, and brings thousands of youth and teens from more than 100 community groups to Georges or Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park on the Provincetown II.

OurBetter Beaches Program supports dozens of free events and activities on the region's public beaches each year in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

We hope we can count on you as we share Boston Harbor with 30,000 young people on 28 free island excursions and at 40 free events and programs on the region's public beaches in 2018.For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay please visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org